Memory module with audio playback mode

ABSTRACT

A memory module with a playback mode for audio signals through a playback port, and having an input port for input of both analogue and data signals as well as power, the power being from a separate power source. The input port may be a USB or IEEE1394 port and may be used with a battery pack and cradle having a female socket for receiving therein the connector. The input port includes at least four terminals being: ground, power, and two differential data terminals; the differential data terminals carrying signals at frequencies in the range of from 1 to 480 MHz. The input port is also for passing power from the battery pack and cradle to the memory module.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/100,351 filed Mar. 18, 2002, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference as if explicitly set forth.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

At present there are a range of memory modules in use. An example ofsuch memory modules is MP3 players. These require a cable to enable themto be connected to a user's computer to enable the transfer of musicfrom the computer to the player. Such cables may be an RS-232 cable, USBcable or an IEEE1394 cable. Presently, two different high-speed cablesare achieving consumer acceptance—USB 1.1 and 2.0, and IEEE1394. TheIEEE1394 is known as “Firewire”. With these, differential data lines areused to transmit data at speeds of up to 480 MHz. Any playback or outputwill be through a separate connection port. As such, the input lines andthe output lines are mutually exclusive and the input lines serve nopurpose during playback, and the playback lines serve no function duringdownload.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, provided is a memory modulewith a playback mode for audio signals through a playback port, andhaving an input port for input of both analogue and data signals as wellas power, the power being from a separate power source. The input portmay be a USB or IEEE1394 port and may be used with a battery pack andcradle having a female socket for receiving therein the input port. Theinput port includes at least four terminals including: ground, power,and at least two differential data terminals; the differential dataterminals carrying signals at frequencies in the range of from 1 to 480MHz. The input port is also for passing power from the battery pack andcradle to the memory module.

As can be seen from the figures, the cradle 12 has a generally L-shapedconfiguration. The female data connector or socket 22 is formed in theshort arm of the generally L-shaped configuration, while the compartmentin the cradle 12 in which the battery 18 is located is formed in thelong arm of the generally L-shaped configuration. As can be seen fromFIGS. 1 and 4, the memory module and cradle are situated in aside-by-side configuration when the memory module and the cradle areassembled with the male 26 and female 22 data connectors engaged, withthe compartment in which the battery 18 is located being alongside thememory module 10.

The memory module may include a controller circuit and an earphonesocket. Alternatively, the connector is used for audio output through anearphone socket fitted to the battery pack and cradle, the audio signalsbeing passed to the earphone socket by the differential data lines ofthe input port.

There may be further included a multiplexing circuit so that the memorymodule knows in which of a plurality of modes it is to operate. Theplurality of modes may include audio and data in which case audio isreplay only and data is download and replay. The multiplexing circuitselects between the output of a USB transceiver and an audiopreamplifier.

The multiplexing circuit may be electronically operated by using avoltage level between a ground line and a power line, the voltage levelbeing different when the memory module is fitted to a computer to whenit is fitted to the battery pack and cradle. Alternatively, it may bemechanically operated by a physical switch for a user to operate toswitch between data and audio modes.

Alternatively, the multiplexing circuit is mechanically operated by amechanical switch including a finger fitted to the battery pack andcradle and a switch on the memory module such that whenever the memorymodule is fitted to battery pack and cradle the finger contacts theswitch to switch the memory module to audio mode and, in the absence ofthe finger, the memory module will automatically be in data mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily putinto practical effect there shall now be described by way ofnon-limitative example only preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, the description being with reference to the accompanyingillustrative drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view from above of a first embodimentfitted to a battery cradle;

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 just prior to being fitted tothe battery cradle;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the first embodiment fitted to the batterycradle;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the lines and in the direction ofarrows B-B on FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the first embodiment just priorto engagement in the battery cradle; and

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 of a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To first refer to FIGS. 1 to 5, there is shown a memory module 10adapted to be used with a computer (not shown) and is intended to beable to be used as a recording and playback module. For operation remotefrom the computer it is used with a mating battery pack and cradle 12.

The module 10 has functional controls 13 of a known type to control theplayback of data stored in the module 10. That data may be audio and/orvideo and/or other storable data. For audio functions a headphone socket14 is provided to enable a user to use the module 10 when fitted to thebattery pack and cradle 12 without requiring other external reproductiondevices.

The battery pack and cradle 12 has a cover 16 in which is releasablyheld a battery 18. The battery is connected to power lines 20 that areconnected to a female socket 22.

The memory module 10 has a housing 24 in which the headphone socket 14is fitted. Also fitted in housing 24 is a connector port 26 for data andpower transfer. This may be a USB or IEEE 1394 port. From the port 26power 42 is passed to the required components of the memory module 10 inthe known manner. Those components are of a known category andoperation. Data 44 is passed to and from a controller circuit 28 andthen to non-volatile memory 30. The controller circuit 28 is connectedto the earphone socket 14.

When it is intended to download data to the module 10, it is removedfrom the battery pack and cradle 12 and connector 26 is connecteddirectly to the user's computer's USB or IEEE1394 port (“port”). Powerfor the module is provided from the port 26 via the computer's port.When the user wants to use the module 10 in playback mode when connectedto their computer, the port 26 is used to playback the data using thecomputer rather than the earphone socket 14.

The second embodiment of FIG. 6 shows where the port 26 is used for theaudio output through the earphone socket 14, which in this case isfitted to cover 16. The port 26 and socket 22 each has at least fourterminals each of which is connected to a separate line that are: ground32, power 34 (+5 V), D+ 36 and D− 38 being the differential data lines.The data lines 36, 38 carry signals at frequencies in the range of from1 to 480 MHz. Only the one line is shown representing the two data lines36, 38 (audio left and right channels) for a USB port. An IEEE1394 portwill have four data lines, and these are also represented by the singleline 36,38.

Controller circuit 28 includes a multiplexing circuit 40 so that module10 knows in which mode it is to operate—audio 46 or data 48. As can beseen, audio 46 is one way (playback) and data 48 is two way (download orinput and playback or output). The circuit 40 selects between the outputof the USB transceiver and audio preamplifier. It may be electronicallyor mechanically operated. For example, it may be electronic by using thevoltage level between the ground 32 and the power line 34. As thevoltage at the power line 34 is higher when connected to a computer thanwhen connected to the battery pack, the controller circuit 28 can easilydetermine to which of a computer or battery pack the module is connectedby measuring the voltage at power line 34.

The selection may be mechanical by having a physical switch for a userto operate to switch between data and audio (playback) modes. Amechanical switch may also be automatically operated by a finger fittedto cover 16 and that operates a physical switch on housing 24 wheneverthe module is fitted to battery pack and cradle 12 and switches themodule to audio (playback) mode. In the absence of such a finger, themodule will automatically be in data mode. Alternatively, the module 10may be in audio (playback) mode in the absence of the finger.

The present invention therefore provides a memory module able to beconnected directly to the user's computer for download and playback, andfor use remote from the computer by using a battery pack and cradle forplayback using an earphone socket. This is different to present memorymodules where they are either a storage device that has no playbackcapability and cannot be operated separately from their “master” machine(computer, PDA, or the like); or are a device such as an MP3 playerwhere cables are required to connect the player to a computer for thedownloading of the music to be stored on the player. The USB port of anMP3 players is used solely for data transfer during the downloading ofthe music. To give a reasonable playback time MP3 players have anin-built battery compartment in which batteries are located. That makesthem rather large and prevents direct coupling with machines such ascomputers, PDAs, and so forth.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description a preferredembodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the technology that many variations or modifications indetails of design, construction or operation may be made withoutdeparting from the present invention.

The present invention extends to all features disclosed eitherindividually or in all possible permutations and combinations.

1. A playback device, comprising: a data connector port for both data transfer and audio playback; memory for storing audio data received via the connector port; and functional controls to control the playback of audio data stored in the memory, wherein, when in an audio playback mode, the data connector port is used to play back audio data.
 2. A playback device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector port is a USB or IEEE 1394 connector port.
 3. A playback device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector port is a male connector port.
 4. A playback device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an earphone socket.
 5. A playback device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the audio playback is provided on data lines in the connector port.
 6. A playback device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, in the audio playback mode, the playback device is capable of receiving power via a power line in the connector port.
 7. A playback device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a multiplexing circuit coupled to the connector port and that selects between the output of a data transceiver and an audio output circuit.
 8. A playback device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the multiplexing circuit is electronically operated by detecting a voltage level between a ground line and a power line in the connector port.
 9. A playback device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the multiplexing circuit is mechanically operated by a physical switch for a user to operate to switch between data and audio modes.
 10. A playback device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the audio output circuit is an audio preamplifier.
 11. A playback device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a multiplexing circuit coupled to the data lines and that selects between the output of a data transceiver and an audio output circuit.
 12. A playback device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the multiplexing circuit is electronically operated by detecting a voltage level between a ground line and a power line in the connector port.
 13. A playback device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio playback is provided on data lines in the connector port.
 14. A playback device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the audio playback mode, the playback device is capable of receiving power via a power line in the connector port.
 15. A playback device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio playback is provided on data lines in the connector port.
 16. A playback device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in the audio playback mode, the playback device is capable of receiving power via a power line in the connector port.
 17. A playback device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a multiplexing circuit coupled to the data lines and that selects between the output of a data transceiver and an audio output circuit.
 18. A playback device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the audio output circuit is an audio preamplifier.
 19. A playback device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a multiplexing circuit coupled to the data lines and that selects between the output of a data transceiver and an audio output circuit.
 20. A playback device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the audio output circuit is an audio preamplifier. 